Diary of Private Richard R. Hancock: Sunday, December 8, 1861

Brother Ben and four others of Allison's Company left Mr. West's to rejoin our battalion at Camp Hall, seven miles beyond Monticello.

Zollicoffer sent out two companies of cavalry to see if they could learn what had become of the enemy.

Before reaching the upper ford on Fishing Creek they found a Federal cavalry picket, consisting of one company of Wolford's Regiment, under Captain Dillon.

This company broke and a lively chase ensued.

Lieutenant Dine was posted a little beyond the upper ford, on the road leading to Somerset, with about thirty infantry from the Thirty-fifth Ohio¹ (Colonel Van Derveer). Dillon's fugitives refused to halt or give Dine's men any assistance, but pressed on to camp near Somerset. When our men struck the infantry picket above mentioned, they (the enemy) were soon killed, captured or dispersed, after which our cavalry followed Dillon's men nearly to Somerset. According to Zollicoffer's report, the enemy's loss was ten killed and sixteen captured, one of whom was badly wounded; and our loss one man and one horse wounded, and two horses killed. I take the following from Colonel Van Derveer's report:¹

We killed one of their officers in command of the advance, one of their horses, and captured one horse. Our own loss was one killed, one wounded, and fifteen missing.

In reference to the above affair General Schoepf wrote to General Thomas thus:

The cavalry under my command, as usual, behaved badly. They are a nuisance, and the sooner they are disbanded the better.

Is there no such thing as obtaining a regiment of reliable cavalry? Such a regiment is indispensable with this brigade at this time. The absence of such troops has kept me in the saddle until I am nearly worn down with fatigue.³

_______________

¹ Rebellion Records, Vol. VII., p. 9.

²  Rebellion Records, Vol. VII., p. 8.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 91-2

Diary of Private Richard R. Hancock: Friday, November 8, 1861

In the saddle early that morning, our battalion arrived at Jacksborough late in the afternoon (about twenty-two miles). Zollicoffer had left orders here for McNairy to follow the brigade by a forced march in the direction of Clinton. After allowing his men to halt long enough to feed their horses and take supper, McNairy pressed on thirteen miles further and bivouacked for the rest of the night.¹ Here he was met by a messenger, with orders for him to halt.

Nelson and Bob Smith were sick of the measles at Jacksborough and discharged at Clinton.

The rest of the brigade had also halted, and I shall now endeavor to explain why.

The First Kentucky Infantry, under Colonel Bramlette, and the Fourth, under Colonel Haskins, and Wolford's Cavalry were at that time encamped at or near “Camp Goggin," on the north bank of the Cumberland, some nine miles above Mill Springs and twenty from Monticello, Kentucky.² On the 3d, Colonel Wolford set out from the above named camp with four hundred of his regiment and one piece of artillery on a reconnoitering expedition in the direction of Monticello, and, if necessary, he was to send a messenger back and Colonels Bramlette and Haskins were to follow with all their available force—1,200. Colonel Wolford went as far as Monticello, and, finding no “Rebs” there, he returned to Camp Goggin.

It appears that Madam Rumor had swelled Wolford's four hundred to 6,000 before she delivered her “entirely reliable” report to Lieutenant-Colonel McClellan, for on the next day, the 4th, he wrote the dispatch which has been previously given, under the 7th instant. On the 5th, he moved his battalion down to Camp McGinnis, and sent some of his men out toward Monticello to meet the enemy. They went as far as Monticello, and sent a messenger back, who reported that a few cavalry had been there, but had gone back to Camp Goggin. So, just as Zollicoffer entered the road from Knoxville to Wartburg, within twenty-two miles of the latter place, a messenger met him with a dispatch from Colonel McClellan, stating that the information which he had given on the 4th was founded in error. Therefore, our General decided to fall back to Jacksborough, and completely blockade the two wagon roads through the mountains in that vicinity.³

_______________

¹ I had been on the sick list ever since our battalion left Flat Lick, but had still followed the command until the above night. Not being able to go any further, I put up with one Mr. Bowling, who lived on the Clinton road, six miles south of Jacksborough, the county seat of Campbell County, where I remained for about ten days, and was quite sick with a fever during the time. J. W. Kennedy first stopped with me, but as I continued to grow worse for some days, my brother, B. A. Hancock, resigned as assistant commissary of our battalion and came to see that I was properly cared for. Ben and I rejoined the battalion at Clinton, on the 18th. B. J. Mullinax, P.

² Rebellion Records, Vol. IV., p. 328.

³ Rebellion Records, Vol. IV., p. 530.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 72-4